Substitute - Paraeducator

General Description

Our ideal candidate

You are a committed professional with a nurturing and patient demeanor who enjoys working with children and young adults in need of specialized assistance. You are a team player who listens well and contributes to a positive and efficient work environment on behalf of colleagues, students, families, and the community. You represent the Santa Barbara County Education Office with integrity and professionalism.

General description

Assists teachers and staff in providing cognitive, instructional, therapeutic, and/or medical support to students with varying levels of physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, multiple disabilities, emotional disturbance, and/or severe orthopedic, visual, or hearing impairments.

Specific duties and responsibilities

• Provides cognitive, instructional, therapeutic, medical, and/or social instructional assistance to individuals or small groups of students with disabilities.
• Works directly with individuals or small groups of students to execute individual lesson plans and alternative strategies for maximizing learning experiences.
• Interprets individualized education plans and teacher instructions.
• Assists students during classroom activities, lunch, physical education, while being transported to and from school activities, and all other school activities.
• Feeds students, dispenses medicines, and assists with personal hygiene.
• May perform suctioning, oral stimulation, and replenishment of catheterized devices.
• Assists students with development and reinforcement of life skills such as, but not limited to, purchasing and preparing food, negotiating transportation between school and home, work, and community-based services.
• Assists teachers by setting up work areas, and preparing motivational, decorative, and instructional materials.
• Prepares and may develop age-, grade-, and developmentally-appropriate instructional aids and activities to support the curriculum being taught.
• Confers with teachers, specialists and parents to develop and evaluate individual and group educational goals and objectives.
• Assists with implementation of special programs.
• Administers assessment instruments, scores objective tests and written papers, and keeps appropriate records for teachers, including those on computerized student information and grading systems.
• Monitors classroom activities when a teacher is absent from the classroom.
• Accompanies students going from one location to another.
• Observes, monitors, and controls behavior of students within approved procedures.
• Develops and uses incentives as positive reinforcement.
• Maintains constant supervision of children.
• Assesses the need for, and uses appropriate discipline in accordance with grade level and student's ability to understand and learn from discipline.
• Reports student academic, life skill, and behavior progress and performance to teachers.
• Documents student progress by correcting assignments, administering and scoring criterion referenced tests, recording and charting test scores and curriculum-based measurements.
• Confers as needed with teachers, resource staff, and other school staff concerning programs and materials to meet student needs.
• Alerts teacher to any special problems or information concerning students in assigned program.
• Assists program administrative staff with the preparation and presentation of in service training sessions.
• Assists in organizing and participates in meetings to share information about programs available to students.
• Assists students with developing independent travel and mobility skills, community-based vocational training, and preparation for ongoing employment.
• May coordinate services with job coaching or vocational advisors.
• Assures student safety.
• Places students in wheelchairs, standers, wedges and other equipment or devices that enhance mobility.
• Helps or places students onto buses, therapeutic tables, and toilets.
• Assists students by offering proper examples, emotional support, patience, and friendly attitude, without becoming emotionally attached.
• Prepares and maintains a variety of files and records for classroom or assigned program.
• Performs other duties as assigned that support the overall objective of the position.

Education: Possession of a high school diploma and passing score on a rigorous assessment examination demonstrating knowledge and ability to assist with instructing children/students in reading, writing, and mathematics; 48 or more semester units of higher education will substitute for the competency assessment exam.

Experience: Six months of work, volunteer, or personal experience providing care or instruction to infants or children, or to children or adults with disabilities, is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• the principles and practices of age-appropriate child development and guidance applicable to special education setting dealing with severe emotional, physical, and learning…